


A Walk in the Woods

by Eievui



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 06:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19806562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eievui/pseuds/Eievui
Summary: When Izumi falls ill, Tsukasa decides to run away from home to take care of his friend. Along the way, he runs into a strange boy with wolf ears… Can he make it to Izumi’s house in time?[Fairy Tale au collab for the first round of ESO!]





	A Walk in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the first fic I'm ever posting publicly so I'm a little nervous, but I really want to spread some love for izuleokasa! It's a very fun ot3, and I wanted to do something fun for the enstars shipping olympics, so please enjoy this story inspired by Little Red Riding Hood!

“That shitty brat…” Izumi cursed under his breath as he reread the letter in his hands for what felt like the hundredth time. He couldn’t be serious… Yes, Izumi had been sick for a while with no real improvement, but that didn’t mean Tsukasa should be sneaking out to visit him?

But it looked like he was too late to respond to tell him ‘no, don’t you dare do that,’ as the date Tsukasa had picked to come visit was only a day away. They certainly weren’t all that far apart, so a walk would be possible… Under normal circumstances. Tsukasa was a noble; a young and naive one at that. How did such a sheltered kid expect to not only leave his manor, but also the town, and _then_ make his way through the forest to Izumi’s residence? 

Izumi coughed into his hand, glaring at the letter one last time before folding it up and placing it next to him on the bed.

“Leo-kun… I need to ask you a favor.”

Said boy’s ears perked up at the mention of his name. At first glance, one would think he was just an average human; but his fluffy ears and tail quickly destroy that idea. Feared by humans, Leo lived his life in solitude until he met Izumi. As such, he was quite distressed that he couldn’t help his friend more. His normal bubbly demeanor had calmed since Izumi had fallen ill, and he was all too ready to try anything to help his friend.

“Anything, Sena. What is it?”

“Do you remember that kid I told you about a few times, the one I met in that nearby town… Kasa-kun?” He doesn’t wait for Leo to respond, knowing that he probably did not. “Anyway, he says he’s going to come visit with some medicine. I’d tell him not to, but it looks like he’s coming tomorrow… He’ll never make it here on his own. 

“I need you to go watch over him and make sure nothing bad happens to him. He’s kind of hard to miss. He has red hair, and purple eyes, okay? You’re the worst at remembering people’s names, but you can at least remember that, right? But… _Don’t_ talk to him, just watch out for him.”

_‘I don’t want anything bad happening to you, either’_

The sentiment goes unsaid, but Leo knows him well enough to understand… Right?

Leo nodded vigorously, his tail wagging a bit in excitement. “Sure thing, Sena! He’ll never even know I was there! … Do you think his medicine will help?”

Izumi shrugged. “He’s a noble, so I guess he’s got access to things we wouldn’t be able to get? But I’m not getting my hopes up…” Another cough racks his chest, and Leo is next to him immediately, helping him sit up and take a sip of water.

“... I’ll get going soon so I can stake out the forest. You said red hair, right?”

Izumi nodded in response before laying back down.

“... You’ll be careful, right, and not your usual idiot self?”

Leo grinned. “You got it! And don’t worry, I won’t let one red hair on… Kasu? Kaso’s head be harmed.”

Izumi sighed. “Well… At least you remembered it was red.”

At that, Leo gave a boisterous laugh, and Izumi found himself fighting the urge to smile.

* * *

It had been difficult to execute his plan, but Tsukasa Suou had never been one to give up in the face of adversity. He had enlisted the help of one of his most trusted servants - otherwise, his absence would have been noticed, causing a panic. Before he had left, the servant had thrown a red cape over his shoulders, warning him to keep his head covered. Tsukasa thanked her before continuing on his way, urgency in his step.

He reached the edge of the forest, and hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the unknown. It was a little bit scary, but he could not leave his friend in such condition any longer! Plus, Tsukasa was curious about how commoners lived… He simply had to go visit Izumi at once.

Clutching his basket of provisions and medicine, Tsukasa made his way through the forest. He wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched… But no matter how much he looked, all he could spot were animals. Perhaps he was just nervous, having never left his town before…

A twig snapped behind him, and Tsukasa whipped around so fast his hood fell down.

“W-Who is there…?! Show yourself at once!”

His voice only shook slightly as he pointed an accusing finger at a patch of overgrowth.

“Ohhh…!” From behind the brush, two fuzzy ears popped up. Tsukasa recognized them as wolf ears from books he had read, but… He had never heard of an orange wolf?

A human face soon followed the ears, a grin on the stranger’s face.

“Red hair! So you _are_ Kaso, right?! Wait, don’t tell me, I’ll leave it to my imagination…~”

Tsukasa backed up warily, eyeing the figure. Just what was going on…? The boy before him seemed human, but he had the most peculiar ears and tail. And just who was ‘Kaso’ anyway?

“Um? I do not understand what you are saying. My name is Tsukasa Suou. … Who exactly are you?”

“Tsukasa…?” Leo repeated with a tilt of his head. He had never heard that name before… But, Izumi did tend to give people nicknames. Plus, he was sure he was right about the red hair! Names weren’t important, right?!

“Forget about that! C’mon, we need to get going!” Leo approached, attempting to get a look into Tsukasa’s basket, which the other immediately yanked away.

“Pardon me? This is not for you! And I refuse to go anywhere with a stranger. Please leave me alone!” With a huff, Tsukasa turned on his heel, continuing along the path to Izumi’s house.

Leo jogged a bit to catch up with the noble. “Don’t say that, Kaso, let’s go together! It’s fine, isn’t it?”

Tsukasa offered the boy a glare. “You have not even shared your name? How do I know you are safe to be around? And I believe I told you, my name is Tsukasa Suou. Please stop calling me ‘Kaso.’”

He may have just run away from home for Izumi’s sake, but that did not mean that his family wasn’t extremely important to him. Having his name butchered was a slight against not only him but his honorable family!

“Oh, I didn’t? My name’s Leo! It’s nice to meet you, um…. So… Se… Suo~!”

“... I suppose that is close enough.” Tsukasa sent Leo a side glance as they walked along the forest path. “Leo-san, is it? You still have not explained why you are so insistent on accompanying me. This is truly a very important matter, so I would appreciate it if- wahyan?!”

Because he had been focusing on Leo, Tsukasa had stopped paying attention to where he was going. As a result, when the path changed to a small footbridge above a river, he hadn’t noticed at all. Had it not been for Leo quickly pulling him back into an embrace, Tsukasa would have fallen right in.

“Wahaha! You should be more careful, Suo~! Though, people say that to me a lot, too… Anyway, this is why I should come with you! How long would you make it here without me? The forest is filled with lots of scaaary things, you know.”

Tsukasa’s cheeks turned pink as he was pressed against Leo. He didn’t deal with physical contact all that well most of the time, but for some reason this wasn’t all that bad. Leo was quite warm… But he was still a stranger.

With a huff, Tsukasa pulled himself away from Leo. “... Thank you for your assistance. But I assure you, I will do quite fine without you. Please leave.”

Once more Tsukasa continued on to Izumi’s house, and once more Leo followed. Tsukasa tried just about everything to get the wolf-boy to leave, but Leo was stubborn. Or just an idiot. 

They argued just about the entire journey, though they did converse about other things, as well. Tsukasa told Leo about the current state of affairs in town, and Leo offered some wisdom he had gained being on his own so long. All in all, though Tsukasa was loathe to admit it, it was a pleasant trip. It did help to have a companion when he wasn’t completely certain of the way.

“Ohh, we’re here!” Leo piped up eventually. Tsukasa cross checked the address of the cottage with the one he had been sending letters to. They did match up, but how would Leo know that this was their destination? Before he could ask, the wolf-boy was grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him along the rest of the way, throwing the door open without a single care.

“Sena~! I brought him here, just like I said! You never told me Suo~ was so interesting!”

Once inside the cottage, Leo let go of Tsukasa’s hand in favor of kneeling next to Izumi’s bed.

“Sena-san…?” So, this really was Izumi’s residence? But that still didn’t explain Leo…

Izumi had been jolted awake by the rough arrival, which was already enough to make him cranky. But seeing Leo with Tsukasa in tow almost made it worse.

“You idiot…! I said _don’t_ go up to him?!” Izumi sighed before coughing a bit as he sat up. “... That idiot didn’t do anything weird to you, right, Kasa-kun?”

Tsukasa shook his head as he stepped into the cottage, Leo’s objections to being called an idiot falling on deaf ears.. “No, nothing of the sort… He simply served as a guide. But I was not aware he was a friend of yours, Sena-senpai.”

He sat down on the edge of Izumi’s bed as he spoke, searching through his basket. 

“Tch. Like that guy would be a friend of mine.”

“Senaaaaa, don’t be so cruel! I brought him here in one piece, right? You should be praising me more instead of insulting!”

“Yeah, yeah… Thank you for protecting Kasa-kun, Leo-kun.” Izumi scratched one of Leo’s ears absentmindedly as he watched Tsukasa.

Tsukasa eventually brought out a small bottle. “Here, this is from the court apothecary. This should help your symptoms quite a bit.” The redhead poured a small amount onto a spoon, before holding it up to Izumi’s lips.

“Haaa? Why am I being babied? You’re the youngest, aren’t you? Don’t make light of me…”

Tsukasa frowned. “I am not ‘making light’ of you. But you are ill, you should rest, Sena-san.”

“That’s right, Sena!” Leo had moved to sitting on the bed as well, his side pressed against Izumi’s back. “Let me and Suo~ take care of you!”

Izumi looked from Leo’s grin to Tsukasa’s serious gaze before heaving a sigh. “This is soooo annoying, but I guess I don’t have a choice…?” He opened his mouth for the medicine, which Tsukasa gave him with the utmost care.

They continue on like that for a while, all three of them bantering and bickering as they take care of Izumi. They reminisce on how they first met: Izumi finding Leo nearly half dead on his doorstep one rainy evening; the time he had gone to town on some errands and ran into the little noble, getting sucked into a game of chess by him.

“Ohh, chess? I’m even better at chess than Sena! We’ll have to play some time, Suo~.” Tsukasa’s eyes practically sparkled at the prospect of such a challenge.

“Yes! I look forward to it, Leo-san~.”

After they’ve eaten all the food brought by Tsukasa, Izumi speaks up. “The sun is going to set soon, you know… Shouldn’t you be heading back home soon, shitty brat?”

Tsukasa pouted. “Please do not call me that,” was the automatic response. But, it was indeed true that he should be leaving soon. But he had just had so much fun today… Once he had gathered all his things, he threw the hood of the cape back over his head.

“I suppose I shall be taking my leave. I had a lovely time today, Sena-san, Leo-san. I hope the medicine helps.” Tsukasa bowed before turning to head for the door.

“Haa? What kind of goodbye was that?” Tsukasa paused as Izumi spoke, turning around to face him once more. Izumi beckoned him over with a finger, which Tsukasa complied with a confused expression. Once he was next to the bed again, Izumi pinched his nose with two fingers.

“K-Kuaa! What are you doing, Sena-san?! This is abuse?!” Izumi simply grinned.

“You don’t have to be so formal with us, Kasa-kun.” With that he let go, only to lean up and place a light kiss against Tsukasa’s lips, causing the boy’s face to nearly match his hair.

Izumi’s grin turned a little softer. “There, that’s a better goodbye, riiiight~?” Tsukasa tugged the hood of his cape down a little farther in an attempt to cover his face, at the same time giving a small nod.

“Wait, no fair no fair, I want a goodbye kiss from Sena too!!!” Leo all but pounced on the bed, respectful of the fact that Izumi was still recovering, but also very much in need of a kiss.

Izumi raised an eyebrow. “Goodbye kisses are for when you _leave_ , you know?”

Leo pouted. “I know! I’m not stupid! I’m gonna take Suo~ back to town, so I’m leaving!”

Izumi thought on it for a moment. He didn’t like Leo getting closer to town than was necessary, but it was true that it was a good idea for him to accompany Tsukasa again. With a sigh, Izumi relented.

“Fine, fine. You can have one too.”

“Sena~!” Leo gave him a quick peck with a grin. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Izumi waved them off, and Tsukasa and Leo walked back the way they had come hours before, the sun setting long before they reached town. They walked in a comfortable silence, Leo leading the way.

Once the town was visible from the forest, Leo stopped.

“This is as far as I go, Suo~.” Tsukasa nodded, having understood why Leo wouldn’t want to be seen.

“Thank you for accompanying me to this point, Leo-san.” Once again he bowed. “I hope we can meet again.”

Leo laughed. “What are you doing, Suo~? Didn’t Sena tell you that was a bad goodbye?” The wolf-boy lifted the redhead’s chin, before giving him a quick kiss at the corner of his mouth, enjoying the way his face bloomed red once more.

“Wahaha! Red really does suit you, doesn’t it?” Leo grinned, before patting the top of Tsukasa’s head, causing the slightly shorter boy to grumble. “Don’t ‘hope’ that we’ll meet again, we _will_! You, me, and Sena… We have to play chess, remember? Or are you scared I’ll beat you~?”

Tsukasa grabbed at the hand on his head, huffing as he removed it. “There is no way I would be afraid of that!” Calming down slightly, he continued in a softer voice. “I-Is it really okay? If I come visit again…”

Leo nodded. “Sena would never admit it, but he gets lonely, you know? I could tell he had a lot of fun today. And I enjoyed being with Suo~ too! When Sena’s better, we should get together lots and lots more, okay?”

Tsukasa nodded, smiling. “Yes! I look forward to it. I will see you then.”

With those parting words, Tsukasa left the forest, returning to his mansion unseen with the help of his servant. Sitting at his desk, Tsukasa began penning his next letter, though this time he made sure to address it to both Izumi and Leo. He reached the end, pausing for a moment. Normally he finished his letters with ‘sincerely,’ but... 

‘Love, Tsukasa Suou’

Yes, that felt more correct. With a smile, he folded up the letter, sealing it in an envelope before turning in for the night. Tsukasa didn’t know exactly what the future would bring, but he was most certainly looking forward to it.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find the accompanying art for this fic here: https://twitter.com/WE0KASA/status/1150463215060393984 !


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